Phase-out of fossil fuel vehicles

An expanding list of countries have proposed to ban the future sale of passenger vehicles powered by fossil fuels such as gasoline, LPG and diesel. These include India, China [1] (the largest auto market globally), Japan (the third largest auto market globally) that has comprehensive plans for a "hydrogen economy" by 2040[2], South Korea, Taiwan, also the EU auto market nations of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal, as well as Costa Rica in Central America. The intent to ban vehicles powered by fossil fuels is attractive to governments as it offers simpler target compliance[3] as it is focused on a specific industry, compared with a more encompassing carbon tax or phase-out of fossil fuels.[4] The automotive industry is working to introduce electrified vehicles to adapt to bans [5] with varying success. A partial ban enacted in 2012 by California, requiring that 15% of new vehicles offered for sale between 2018 and 2025 must be Zero Emission Vehicles ZEVs) in order for the automaker to sell any vehicles in the state, has yielded 8% compliance.[6]

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Reasons for banning further sale of fossil fueled vehicles include to meet national climate targets under international agreements such as the Kyoto Accord and the Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions that cause climate change, energy independence, or health risk due to local emissions.

The banning of fossil fuels vehicles has a defined scope and is generally applied in the form of a legislated decision to restrict further sales or registration of new vehicles powered with specific fuels from a future date. At the date of implementation current vehicles would still be registrable. As at 2017, most bans are over 10 years into the future and are not yet legislated.

References in mainstream media to these bans also use terms or phrases like "banning gas cars",[7] "banning ICE cars" (internal combustion engine), or "banning petrol cars"[8].